GUERRILLA MARKETING – intervju z Jayem Conradom LevinsonomGUERRILLA MARKETING – intervju z Jayem Conradom Levinsonom
Gverilsko trženje (ang. Guerrilla Marketing) je sodobna oblika trženja, ki uči metode, ki v primerjavi s tradicionalnim trženjem veljajo za bolj neobičajne, kreativne in v določeni meri celo agresivne. A četudi gverilsko trženje v ospredje postavlja nov in svež pristop k trženju, pa le-ta še vedno stremi k doseganju povsem običajnih ciljev vsakega podjetja, to sta predvsem dobiček in prepoznavna blagovna znamka.
»Izumitelj« gverilskega trženja je Jay Conrad Levinson, ki je že leta 1984 napisal prvo knjigo »Guerrilla marketing«. Le-ta (in njene različice) je danes na voljo v 41 jezikih, na nekaterih univerzah pa že sodi med obvezno študijsko literaturo. J.C. Levinson je sodeloval z mnogimi oglaševalskimi agencijami in pri raznovrstnih projektih različnih blagovnih znamk (npr. Marlboro).
Za Ljubljanski univerzitetni inkubator je bil pripravljen odgovoriti na nekaj vprašanj (intervju je v angleškem jeziku):
1. Guerrilla Marketing is actually not a new concept if looking at the year when your first Guerrilla Marketing book was published (1984), but the creative and unconventional methods it teaches are still not that widely known and accepted (esp. outside USA). Could you briefly explain to our readers what are the key characteristics and advantages of guerrilla marketing and how it differentiates from the “old-school” marketing?
Since I've described this in 60 books and countless columns, here's only a short form of the answer. There are approx. 20 ways how Guerrilla Marketing differs from traditional marketing:
1. Invest time, energy, imagination and knowledge instead of money
2. Removes the mystique
3. Geared to small business
4. Profits are the main yardstick
5. Based on psychology, not guesswork
6. Focus over diversifying
7. Grow geometrically: larger transactions, follow-up transactions, referral transactions rather than advertising.
8. Fervent follow-up
9. Cooperate, not compete
10. Use a meme, not a logo
11. Me versus you marketing
12. Giving, not taking
13. Promotes mktg combos and does not rely on a single weapon
14. Relationships over sales
15. Very techno-cozy
16. Individuals over groups
17. Intentional includes all details
18. Gain consent
19. Monologue vs dialogue
20. Provides 200 weapons
2. In your book one I read that 90% of all marketing campaigns fail. This sounds a lot and expensive. What are marketing or/and business people doing wrong in your opinion?
People have false expectations about marketing and erroneously believe it can work instantly. But it rarely can. So they abandon excellent marketing campaigns before they have a chance to work. That is why they fail so often.
3. Is guerilla marketing suitable for any kind of business? If yes, how to best integrate guerrilla concept in the overall marketing strategy of a company? Should it be considered as a separate “branch” or is it possible to align it with other more conventional marketing methods (any examples that you may share with us)?
Yes, guerrilla marketing works for all kinds and all sizes of business around the world. It should and must be integrated into the overall strategy. Guerrilla marketing embraces all the conventional marketing methods, and then uses them in ways that dramatically increase a company's profits. it certainly is not a separate branch of marketing . Today, it is the soul and essence of all marketing.
4. How can one become a good guerilla marketing person? Is one born or can one learn these skills? What are the typical characteristics of a successful guerrilla person?
Here’s a list of the personality traits of successful guerrillas. They are not born that way! They must develop many of these traits:
1. Think that slow, seemingly unending process of marketing happens in a hurry? It does not. That's why PATIENCE remains the most important of the 8 personality characteristics.
2. IMAGINATION: This doesn't necessarily refer to headlines or graphics or jingles or being clever as much as it does facing up to reality. If you're going to do a direct mailing, face up to the fact that everyone and their cousin does direct mailings. Why should your envelope get opened?
Because you've got the imagination to pop for first class postage and to put eleven stamps on your envelope: a 6-center, three 4-centers, a 3-center, and six 2-centers. Who could resist opening an envelope with eleven stamps? Not only will it be opened, but it will be opened first. Doesn't take a lot of money, does takes a powerful imagination.
3. SENSITIVITY: People who run first-rate marketing shows are sensitive to their market, their prospects, the economy, the community, and the competition. It's a key personality trait.
4. EGO STRENGTH: The first people who will tire of your marketing program will be your co-workers, followed closely by your employees, your family, and your friends. They will counsel you to change because they are bored. Your prospects are not bored and have barely heard of you. Your customers will not be bored and will forever read your marketing materials to justify the fact that they still do business with you.
5. AGGRESSIVENESS: You need to be aggressive in your spending and your thinking. When you hear that the average U.S. business invested 4 percent of gross revenues in marketing in 2009, you want to invest 6 percent, 10 percent. When you hear there are 200 marketing weapons, you want to use at least half of them.
6. CONSTANT LEARNING: A seagull flies in endless circles, seeking food. When it finds food, it eats its fill, then flies in circles again, looking for more food. Seagulls just have to look for food. Humans have one instinct that is just as strong. Know what it is? To learn. Successful guerrillas know a lot, but keep learning more.
7. GENEROSITY: Guerrillas view marketing as an opportunity to help their prospects and customers succeed at their goals, whatever they may be. They think of things they can give away to help those people. They are generous with their time and their information.
8. TAKE ACTION: Many people read books, hear tapes, take courses and attend seminars. But most of them keep this information within them. Guerrillas learn the very same ways, but take action based upon what they have learned. They know that action is the power behind guerrilla marketing.
Those are eight traits that great marketing directors seem to have in common. I sure hope all eight words apply to you.
5. In your marketing career what would you consider as the most important thing that you have learned in marketing?
I have learned the value of starting with a brief plan, then committing to that plan. If you don't do that, perhaps you should go into a different field than marketing.
6. Any inspiring words for our young entrepreneurs and other readers?
Marketing is incredibly enjoyable if you do it right and guerrilla marketing shows how to do it right. The idea is not to learn everything about a topic but to learn one thing after another. You must cherish the old truths while embracing the new truths. There has never been a better time to be an entrepreneur than right now - because of the quality and availability of superb information.
Avtor: Valentina Nahtigal
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